Just as the Holy Spirit indwells a believer an "unclean" spirit can also be in a person’s body. The Lord Jesus Christ likens spirit to wind (John 3:8). The Greek word for spirit is "pneuma" from which our word "pneumonia" comes. If you have pneumonia you have trouble with your breathing. The spirit within a person directs what comes out of his mouth and the breath of a person escapes as he talks. His speech can be directed by his own spirit, by an unclean spirit, or by the Holy Spirit.

• Job 26:4
  To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

I Kings 22 has a prime example.

• I Kings 22:21
  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.

The Tribulation saint is told to "try" the spirits in the people he encounters. To "try" means to "examine or investigate judicially." That is a serious admonition because being deceived by a false prophet would mean the loss of that person’s salvation. And there are many of them out there attempting to do just that.

• I John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

During the Tribulation false prophets will even be working miracles and doing wonders to try to deceive God’s people, just as they did in the Old Testament.

• Deuteronomy 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

The purpose of the Tribulation false prophets will be exactly the same thing. Through the use of signs and wonders they will try to deceive even the saints.

• Matthew 7:15
  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

• Matthew 24:24
  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Of course these false prophets are the flunkies of THE false prophet.

• Revelation 13:12
  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

The false prophets and unclean spirits that are working today have the same "MO", and Christians are not exempt from being deceived. We, also, should try the spirits and test their veracity against the word of God.

• I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Those who "speak" such things are also workers of the devil.

• II Corinthians 11:13
  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

A Church Age Christian, however, does not lose his salvation if he is deceived by an unclean spirit. Christians today listen to lies that come from the mouths of modern day, false prophets, and because they are ignorant of the word of God, they are deceived by their fine words and fair speeches. During the Tribulation the saint is given no room for error. He cannot allow himself to be deceived.

• I John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

• I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

This "confession" is more than just saying the words that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Devils recognize who the Lord is.

• Acts 19:15
  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

This "confession" indicates genuine salvation as indicated in I John 4:15, which has been thoroughly discussed with I John 1:9. A person with the spirit of antichrist cannot be saved and should not be heeded.

The next verse is frequently used by the charismatic movement to prove that the devil or those he controls have absolutely no power over a Christian today. Of course, in order to believe that, they have to ignore whole chapters of Paul’s epistles. Galatians 5:17-21 list many of the ways a Christian can be controlled by the devil through his own flesh.

• I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The devil can control the body of a Christian to the point where the Lord decides to allow the devil to destroy that body. Of course, he is still saved.

• I Corinthians 5:5
  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The devil can ruin the health of even the best of Christians.

• II Corinthians 12:7
  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

As mentioned previously, the devil can deceive a Christian with "seducing spirits and doctrines of devils." But not only can a Christian be deceived by an unclean spirit, he can also receive another spirit just as he received the Holy Spirit.

• II Corinthians 11:3
  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The devil can control the Christian’s body and mind. The only thing that is off limits is that person’s salvation. Tribulation saints, however, must overcome the devil by their works and the strength that comes from their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The next verse is true during any dispensation. The world is in direct opposition to God. Those of the world speak against God and are gladly heard by their own.

• I John 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

There is no communication, no understanding between the opposing camps. It is almost as if they speak different languages. An Englishman and a Chinaman cannot communicate verbally. They have no common ground. The thinking of the saved versus that of the lost is even more different.

• I John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

People who speak the same language can communicate and will recognize the speech of others even if the face is not familiar. During the Tribulation it will not be difficult to recognize those who are following the Lord. What comes out of their mouths will be what identifies them.

• I John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

• I John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Charismatics and do-gooders just love the last part of that verse. They use "God is love" as a catchall for rebuking anyone who is saying or doing something that might "offend" someone. That would include street preachers, tract distributors, hellfire preaching, and any number of Biblical activities. They say that if someone gets upset, then it is obviously not done is the spirit of God’s love. What they fail to realize that God is other things besides love. They would undoubtedly agree with the first verses of this list but would get terribly "upset" at the last few. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie...

• Job 33:12 ...God is greater than man.
• Psalm 47:7 ...God is the King of all the earth...
• Matthew 22:32...God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
• John 4:24 God is a Spirit...
• Job 36:5 ...God is mighty...
• Job 36:26 ...God is great...
• II Chronicles 30:9 ...God is gracious and merciful...
• John 3:33 ...God is true.
• I Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful...
• I John 1:5 ...God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
• I Corinthians 14:33 ...God is not the author of confusion...
• Daniel 9:14 ...God is righteous...
• Psalm 99:9 ...God is holy.
• Nahum 1:2 God is jealous...
• Psalm 75:7 ...God is the judge...
• Acts 10:34 ...God is no respecter of persons...
• Psalm 7:11 ...God is angry with the wicked every day.
• Galatians 6:7 ...God is not mocked...
• Hebrews 12:29 ...God is a consuming fire.

They don’t like to acknowledge God’s anger and the fact that he damns people to hell. They portray God as a big KISS who overlooks the wickedness of men because of his love. Well, he most certainly does not overlook man’s wickedness, but he did make a way for that wickedness to be forgiven.

• I John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

• I John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Giving and sacrifice are the perfect examples of love. Love originates from God, and any love that does not involve giving and sacrifice is not God’s kind of love. This wishy washy "love" of the charismatics is not God’s love. No one loved more than Jesus, and he preached hellfire and damnation and offended people (Matthew 24). Most people need to be waken up in order to get their attention.

• I John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

So the love of God and Jesus is the example given to any believer. Today’s Christian is to have charity, which is "love in action," to show appreciation for his free and secure salvation. (Romans 12:10) During the Tribulation this love is manifested through sacrificial love of the brethren and possibly the sacrifice of the saint’s body as well. Both are proof of God’s love within.

• I John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

The second half of this verse has been explained more than once. The first part, however, reveals something new. Sight is usually thought of as strictly a physical sense, and it is used that way by John.

• John 1:18
  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

• John 14:9
  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

• I John 1:1
  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

These are obviously references to physical sight. John and the disciples saw and touched the Lord Jesus Christ. But John also refers to something that is not physical sight.

• John 6:46
  Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

This has to be a reference to the "sight of faith." Certainly many people who did not believe on Christ saw him walking around, so this must be something different. Hebrews has an example of this.

• Hebrews 11:1
  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

In this verse Moses acts by a faith that is so strong it is "as seeing him who is invisible." It is as if the Lord stood before him and gave him the directions personally. This explanation is enlightening for those who have yet to see the Lord face to face either today or in the Tribulation. It also explains the next verses.

• I John 3:6
  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

• III John 1:11
  Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

As stated before there were certainly lost sinners walking around who saw Jesus when he was there. And for the future time if physically seeing Jesus was a requirement for salvation then no one would be able to be saved because he is not physically here. Also, at his mid-Tribulation appearance it seems that everyone, saved and lost, shall see him (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 14:14), so this has to be the "sight of faith."

• I John 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Some Christians teach that the Holy Spirit is gone, that he is not "available" during the Tribulation, but that is not so. A fact stated by this verse as well as others. He is just not sealed inside the body of a Tribulation saint like he is a Church Age saint. The Tribulation saint retains the Holy Spirit through his good works.

• I John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

This is a personal testimony of John and the disciples that they can personally vouch for the authenticity of their claims about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is all and much, much more then can be told. The next verse was discussed with I John 1:9.

• I John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

Public confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first step for salvation during the Tribulation. That confession identifies the confessor as being against the world system and the powers that be. It could well cost him his life. In the next verse John again personally testifies to his and the disciples’ love and faith in Christ, and states that those Tribulation saints who read this epistle must also do the same for God to be in them and thus be saved.

• I John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

And as God loves his children, they must also love one another to the point of sacrifice. That proves their love of God.

• I John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

As mentioned before the word "perfect" has to do with a person’s actions. This verse says that saints should be "as he is" (God) "in this world." Since "God so loved the world that he gave..." a Tribulation saint’s actions must match his confession. He must love and help his brethren in the same way that God has loved them enough to sacrifice his Son. This "perfect" love will give the saints boldness in the day of judgment. Matthew 25:33-46 sheds great light on this. Those who helped their brethren will inherit the kingdom, while those who do not go into everlasting fire.

• Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36
  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Now there are two ways to help the brethren. One is through perfect love and the other is through fear.

• I John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

One saint may do right and help another because he knows that it is the right thing to do and is terrified of what will happen to him if he doesn’t do it. The other saint will help his brother purely out of love. Both actions outwardly look the same. The difference comes with the attitude of the saint. The frightened saint does right but still has no peace in his heart. The loving saint does right and has peace. The similarity here is between the Church Age Christian who knows he is saved and the one who is always doubting his salvation. "Fear hath torment" and a saint in either dispensation who has done what God says should rest on his word and accept the peace of mind and heart that comes with obedience to it.

• I John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Truly a human is incapable of genuine love until he has experienced the love of God because "God is love." Peoples’ motives are purely selfish until they know the one who sacrificed himself for love. Americans, especially, reject the idea that people are purely selfish because they see the many altruistic works of others and daily read in the newspaper about the those kind of deeds. What they fail to realize is that we began as a Christian country that extolled the virtues of individual sacrifice for others. Sometimes that sacrifice was truly because of the love of God in a person, but sometimes the motives were otherwise. Fame, recognition, praise, and self denial are all very motivating, and these are the same reasons that today many others seem to be acting out of love when it is really self interest.

• I John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

• I John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

These verses have been explained previously and show how a Tribulation saint cannot truly love God and not love his brethren. Salvation by faith and works in the Tribulation is expounded over and over again. Only those who refuse to believe the words of God will deny this obvious truth.